Handle-bar for bicycles.



P. R E D A R H c s F HANDLE BAR FOB BIGYCLES (Application filed May 27, 1899.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES 2% 1?- TNE NbRms PETERS 00. Pnmuu'mn. wAsmNuroN. u c.

PATENT. OFFICE.

FREDERICK SCHRADER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT;

HANDLE-BAR FOR BICYCLES}.

SPECIFICATION forming m of Letters patent No. 628,897, dated July 11,1899. Application filed May 2'7, 1899 Serial No. 718 ,52 7. (No model.)

To all whom it may con/corn.- Be it known that I, FREDERICK SCHRADER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecti'cut, have invented a new and useful Handle-Bar for Bicycles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide an adjustable two-part handle-bar for bi cycles which shallbe simple and inexpensive to produce and shall be so constructed that the handles may be raised or lowered in a plane parallel to the plane of the axis of the steer-' ing-post, thus avoiding rotation of the handle-bar, in which either part of the handlebar may be raised or lowered without affecting the other part, and in which an absolute locking of both parts of the handle-bar in any position in which they may be placed shall be efiected by friction only, thereby doing away with all interlocking projections and producing an inexpensive and easily-operated handle-bar which will Work perfectly smoothly, is capable of the finest adjustment, and the parts of which will remain immovably locked in place when the nut upon the bolt is tightened up. Thisresult I accomplish by a novel construction, in which friction-plates are provided upon the steering-post and upon each part of the handlebar/the gist ofthe invention, however,lying in the fact that when assembled the friction-plates upon the parts of the handle-bar alternate between friction-plates upon the steering-post-that is, the friction-plates upon the parts of the handle-bar are not in contact with each other, but lie between similar friction-plates carried by the steeringpost, with the single exception of the central handie-bar plates, whose inner faces are in contact. This single contact does not, however, interfere to the slightest extent with the perfect working of the device.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of my novel handle-bar; Fig. 2, a plan View, on an enlarged scale, showing the two parts of the handle-bar detached from the steering-post; Fig. 3, a horizontal section on the line 3 3 in Fig. at; Fig. 4, a vertical sec tion on the line at 4 in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5 5 in Fig. 2.

A and B denote, respectively, the two parts of the handle-bar, O the steering-post, and

D the locking-bolt. The parts of the handlebar and the steering-postare provided with interlockin g fric tion-plates, the f riction-plates upon the parts of the handle-bar being designated, respectively, by a and b and the friction-plates on the steering-post by c.

In practice the friction-plates are blanked out from sheet metal, each plate being provided with a shank 1, with a hole 2, through which the locking-bolt passes, and, if preferred,with ahole 3 for a pin or rivet.

4 denotes spacing-plates which are blanked out from sheet metal, correspond in shape and size with the shanks l of the frictionplates, and are providedwith holes 3, registering with the holes inthe shanks of the a friction-plates. In practice the shanks of the friction-plates and the spacing-plates are placed alternately, so as to leave spaces dbetween the plates, and are rigidly secured to-' gether, as by riveting or brazing. The hubs thus formed are so shaped as to adapt them to be rigidly secured to the parts of the handle-bar and the steering-post in any suitable manner, as by pins or rivets 5, which pass through holes 3 in the shanks of the frictionplates and the spacing-plates and through similar holes in the parts of the bar or the steering-post.

The manner in which friction-plates a, b,

and c are assembled for use will be clearly understood from Fig. 3 in connection with Fig. 2, the gist of my invention lying, as already stated, in alternating said plates-that is, in avoiding contact between the plates a and b of the parts of the handlebar, but placing each plate a or 5 between two of the plates struction-t'. a, placing the plates aand I) out of contact with each other, with the single exception noted-is to make it impossible for movement of either handle-bar to carry the other, and, furthermore, to insure that when 2 easemthe locking-bolt which passes through the tween two plates 0, and thus made perfectly rigid.

The operation will be readily understood from the drawings. To adjust the handlebar, the nut 6 upon the locking-bolt is loosened. Very slight backward movement of the nut enables the operator to move the parts of the handle-bar to any desired adj ustment, and a very slight movement ofthe nut in the opposite direction after the parts are adjusted locks them so firmly in place that under ordinary circumstances there is no possibility of moving them.

Heretot'ore, so far asI am aware, the heads of two-part handle-bars have been made from solid forgings. These torgings are expensiveand not infrequently crack and break. It will be seen that my present invention enables me to dispense with forgings and to form the 'headsfrom parts'blanked out from sheet metal.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A- handle-bar comprising two parts and a steering-post each provided with frictionplates, each friction-plate of each part of the handle-bar l yin g between friction -plates upon the steering-post, and means for clamping the plates together.

2. The combination with a steering-post having plates 0 with spaces between them, of the two parts of a handle-bar having respectively plates a and b with spaces between them, said plates at and b alternating in spaces between plates 0 and means for clamping said plates together whereby the parts of the handle-bar may be locked at any desired adjustment.

3. The combination with a steering-post having platesc with shanks 1 and between said shanks spacing-plates so that spaces are formed between said plates 0, of the two parts of a handle-bar provided respectively with plates a and b with shanks l and between said shanks spacing-plates so that spaces are formed between said plates at and 1) respectively said plates a and Z) alternating in the spaces between plates 0, and a bolt passing through all of said plates and provided with anut whereby the said parts of the handle-bar may be locked in any desired position.- I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK SOHRADER.

Witnesses:

A. M. WoosTER, N. ELwooD. 

